The Artist
by xo Princess Lacey xo
Summary: Katniss unwittingly agrees to pose nude for Peeta's drawing. Feeling awkward, she seeks out the help of her friends… but the resulting advice is more than she bargained for…


**Set post-HG, but all characters are alive :)**

**I had a lot of fun doing Always Shut the Door, so I though I'd do another one-shot! And thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or favourited Always Shut the Door! It really means a lot :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own HG :)**

"I'd like to draw you, Katniss," says Peeta, one day. I'm intrigued. He's drawn me before, many times, but he's never asked permission before.

He seems to notice my confusion.

"It's just, you have such great proportions. It would be very helpful for me to draw your body. You know, as a study of the human body."

Fair enough, I think. It wasn't like I had anything better to do. We decide to meet the next day at his house to do it.

I go home and chat to Prim, as a part of our daily ritual. My day was excessively boring, so I decide to tell her about Peeta's request.

"What, you mean, he's gonna draw you…" Prim trails off, her face turning a little red.

"What?" I ask, impatient.

"Naked?" she says, timidly.

Oh no. As soon as she says these words, the whole conversation I'd had with Peeta takes on a whole new meaning.

Of course he meant that he wanted me to pose nude! How had I not realised? I feel completely stupid and embarrassed.

Prim is waiting for an answer, but I leave her hanging. There was no way I was going to discuss this with my little, innocent kid sister.

I needed to talk to someone, though, and I scan my mind trying to think of who to talk to. I decide upon Madge, my best girlfriend, so I quickly run around to her house.

"Madge, I need help!" I say, as soon as she opens the door.

"What is it, Katniss?" she asks.

"I may have left Peeta with the impression that I will be posing nude for him tomorrow."

Madge's brow furrows with intrigue.

"And are you going to pose nude for him tomorrow?" she asks.

"Of course not!" I say.

"Why not?" she says.

"Because it's Peeta! He can't see me naked!" I say, blushing.

"I though you didn't have feelings for Peeta," she says.

"I don't!" I say, but as I say this, I wonder if it was the truth. _Did_ I have feelings for Peeta? I quickly shake the thoughts from my mind.

"Well, if you don't, then I don't see why posing nude for him is such a big deal," she says.

This is not the answer I want to hear. Grumpy, I decide to talk to someone else. I go home and dial the only number that seems a viable option.

"Effie?" I say into the phone.

"Katniss! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

I was beginning to wonder, myself. It had made perfect sense as I walked home. Effie was the only older woman I knew who could possibly listen to my predicament without everyone in town hearing about it. But as I hear her familiar, Capitol-infused voice, I begin to wonder if talking to her was such a good idea.

"I've gotten into a bit of an awkward situation with Peeta," I start out.

"Oh no," she says.

"What? I haven't even told you what it is yet!"

"I can recognise that tone a mile away! You're pregnant, aren't you?"

"No!"

"It's ok, Katniss, there's nothing to worry about. I'll send the train out to pick you two up and you can have a chat at the family planning centre here at the Capitol. Don't you worry Katniss, I'll take care of my two favourite tributes!"

"Effie, I'm not pregnant!"

"No need to yell, Katniss! On second thoughts, I might just leave you to it. You were barely tolerable even without those pesky pregnancy hormones."

Effie hangs up and I'm left feeling confused. I decide to take a walk, and come across Haymitch's house. Of course! I could talk to Haymitch! He was my mentor, after all.

I knock on Haymitch's door, hoping he isn't too drunk to chat.

"What is it, Sweetheart?" he asks, after opening the door.

"Tell me I shouldn't pose nude for Peeta tomorrow!" I say.

"What's this all about, Sweetheart? Is this some kind of new foreplay you kids are doing these days?"

"No! I am not having sex with Peeta!" I say, blushing angrily. Why did so many people assume we were a couple?

"Well, I'm relieved," he says.

"So, what do I do?"

"Maybe try surprising him? You could try jumping his bones, that usually does the trick."

"I meant about the posing!"

"Sweetheart, you're so innocent, it's so sweet" he guffaws. It takes him a while to regain control of his senses.

"Look here, Sweetheart. You and Peeta are just friends, right? So exposing his purely platonic artist's eye to your naked body should have no sexual implications whatsoever, correct?"

I can't say that his logic was unfounded. What was the big deal about posing for Peeta, anyway? It would be perfectly innocent, and it would prove once and for all that we could maintain a friendship without any of this silly relationship nonsense.

I decide to do it. What did I have to lose?

I realise my body is in less-than-ideal condition, so I call up Octavia and explain my predicament. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to grasp the situation very well.

"So he's using you because he can't afford to pay for a girl?" she says, more to herself than to me.

"N-"

"You know, I could just send him a call girl, that would be much simpler," she continues.

"No, thank you," I say, immediately defensive at the thought. No way was I letting one of those disgustingly perfect, curvaceous Capitol hookers anywhere near Peeta.

Not that I cared.

It was a good half an hour before I managed to scrape some beauty tips from Octavia ("Mosturise, mosturise, mosturise! And for goodness sake, tidy up your hoohoo!").

I'm just about to investigate the issue of hoohoo tidy-upping when I get a call from Cinna.

"Hi, Katniss, how are you?" he asks.

"I'm nervous and stressed," I say.

"What's up?"

I explain the whole situation.

"Katniss, you're beautiful. Any artist would be lucky to work with you. I should know! Just go out there and own it!"

Feeling eternally grateful to Cinna and his pep-talks, I march right on over to Peeta's house the next day, ready to pose.

"Hey Katniss, just get yourself comfy. I'll be back in a minute," says Peeta, gesturing to the sofa in his living room.

I'm feeling like an utter pro as I strip my clothes off and settle onto the couch in the most casual-yet-sensual pose I can manage.

"Oh my gosh, Katniss!" exclaims Peeta as he walks into the room. He immediately covers his eyes.

I'm immediately flooded with dread. Was my body deformed? Was my pose too sensual? Was my hoohoo not effectively tidied?

"What is it?" I ask with the calmest voice I can muster.

"Why are you naked?" he asks.

"I thought you wanted to draw my body!"

"I wanted you to wear clothes, Katniss!"

Oh no. What had I done? I feel utterly embarrassed and humiliated.

I pull on my clothes and immediately rush home, ignoring the thumbs-up from Madge as she watches me hastily fastening my belt buckle as I sprint by.

It was several weeks before I could face Peeta again, but things have never been quite the same. Peeta has paid me a lot more attention as of late, and I can happily say that he hasn't looked at another girl since.

Not that I care.

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